Knight to King's Coda
by Not A Droid
Summary: This is an alternate ending to the episode "Coda". It's not what happened, but what should have. One-shot


_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

_A/N: This isn't how the episode Coda ended, but it's how it should've (or at least one version of how I would have things go with the Doyle story arc)_

* * *

It was night. Emily sat across the table from Ian Doyle. How many nights was he the nightmare. This was the nightmare, that in spite of everything this man would be back in her life, ready for revenge. He looked at her and said,"Honore de Balzac once said, 'Most people of action are inclined to fatalism. And most of thought believe in providence.' Tell me, Emily Prentiss, which do you think you're gonna be?" Doyle asked with a sneer.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice behind her said,"She's neither. In case you didn't know, Emily isn't most people." Spencer walked up, a cup of coffee in one hand and portable chess board in the other.

Emily's eyes were wide with both fear and surprise. No, she thought, no, no this can't be happening. Doyle can't hurt her team. Not her team. Her friends. Not Spencer.

Reid sat down, looked at the cups of coffee. "I don't suppose there's one for me?"

"I...wasn't expecting you." Emily said.

Reid smiled. "It's nice to know I can surprise you from time to time. It's okay, I brought my own." He took a sip from his coffee. He looked at Doyle. "Ian Doyle, I presume. Spencer Reid," he offered his hand for Ian to shake.

Ian smiled. "I didn't think this would be a threesome."

"Oh, it's more than that." Reid said. He looked at his outstretched hand, then realized Ian wouldn't be shaking it. So, Reid started setting up the chess board. "That is, if you count your people watching."

"You know about them?" Doyle asked.

"I know quite a lot. They're not the most subtle people in the world. You know, it's been quite an interesting game you've played with Emily."

"Reid," Emily said, her voice wavering, "you don't know what you're doing."

Reid smiled. "Have a little faith, Emily. Trust in your knight."

"Knight?" Ian let out a derisive laugh. "You think you're her knight in shining armor?"

"No. Just her knight." Reid held up the black knight. I'm guessing you made the first move, that makes you white. Emily's the black king."

"Not a queen?" Doyle said in a mocking tone. "You don't find her feminine? Or are you trying to say she's my equal?"

"You are parallel pieces on the board. But she is in every way your superior. The only mistake she's made is not telling us what's been going on."

"How do you know?" It was a terse whisper from Emily. She hadn't meant to speak the words, but she couldn't help it.

"Well, I guess we all knew something's been bothering you. I got an inkling when I heard you said Lauren Reynolds was dead. I thought you meant it just happened. It turns out it happened over seven years ago. I found that odd, I mean it wasn't the anniversary."

"You researched it?" Emily was always surprised when Reid researched something about her. Did he really have no other life than the team?

"Then I made a few calls. A friend of mine works at the Pentagon, and she got me some interesting information about Lauren, and her good friend Ian Doyle. And Doyle, is missing. Then I saw a picture of Lauren. Add that to your old boss calling you recently, and things started to come together."

"You made a mistake, coming here alone, boy." Doyle said, in a low harsh tone.

Reid smiled. "You need to see the whole board, Mr. Doyle. See, you had a good, strong, aggressive opening." Reid moved pieces on the board. The white pawns removed most of the black pawns, seeming to surround the black king's position. "Of course, a strong opening doesn't ensure a successful endgame."

"Do you think you can frighten me?" Ian said with a predatory smile.

"You know, I used play chess constantly. I had really good teacher. You know what he taught me?"

"Hopefully when to quit."

"He taught me the winner isn't necessarily the smarter person. It's the one who makes less mistakes."

"You think I made a mistake?"

"Several."

"Such as?"

Reid moved one of the few remaining black pawns and captured a white pawn. "First you made the choice to seek revenge. That's always a mistake. Next, you made the mistake of thinking your victory was inevitable." Reid removed another white pawn from the board.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Doyle asked.

Underneath the table, Emily gripped the hand grip of her pistol so tightly her knuckles were white. If she pulled the trigger, she and Reid would be dead. There had to be a way to kill Doyle and protect Reid. There had to be.

Reid sipped his coffee. "I do believe the barista at my coffee shop put a little something extra tonight. She's a great girl. And very observant. She made the guy you had watching me. So did the people at my meeting. Did you really think you could watch a group of law enforcement professionals and they wouldn't suspect?" He removed another white pawn.

"By the way, Seaver made the person you had watching her. You have a bad habit of underestimating people." He looked at Emily. "I know you think he's scary, but he's like your average school yard bully. All the bravado covers up the fact he's a weak little coward."

"Careful, Dr. Reid," Doyle growled. My men have you two fitted with cross hairs."

"Not anymore. SWAT has them. While we've been chatting here, they took out the shooters on " he pointed to the building surrounding them, "that building, that balcony, that building, and in the van. Plus, we have our own snipers." He held his wrist up to his face. For the first time, both Doyle and Emily realized Reid was wearing and earpiece and wrist microphone. "Now," Reid said.

Three red dots, the sign of laser scopes, illuminated Doyle's chest. Reid looked at Doyle with a smile. "Check." He took a sip of coffee. "Emily and I are going to walk away now. If you make a move, those three snipers will shoot." Reid stood up. "Come on Emily."

"Maybe you do know what you're doing."

"Of course I do. I'm protecting my king."

Emily got up. She kept her eyes on Ian. She and Reid walked away. As they did, a SWAT moved in, surrounding Doyle.

* * *

A little while later, they were at FBI headquarters.

Ian Doyle was taken without a fuss and was now in one of the interrogation rooms. Meanwhile, the team was in the conference room.

"I'm sorry," Emily said. "I didn't know what else to do."

"We understand, kid," Rossi said.

Reid sat in his seat, biting one of his nails, his head cocked to one side.

"What is it Reid?" Morgan asked.

"It doesn't make sense."

"What, that she didn't trust us? Look she's following protocols from her other team."

"It's not that. How did Ian Doyle know Lauren Reynolds was actually Emily Prentiss?" Reid considered it for a moment, then saw Clyde. "No I know."

Clyde entered the conference room. "Emily."

"Clyde," she said.

"I thought we weren't going to involve you team."

"They involved themselves."

"We're a little better than you are," Reid said.

"Reid," Emily hissed.

"Dr. Reid, is it?" Clyde asked. "You think you could have done a better job of dealing with Doyle?"

"Not giving up Emily to Doyle would have been a good start."

Clyde let out a startled laugh. "What are you talking about?"

Reid stood up and moved faster than anyone thought possible, soon he had Clyde pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped around Clyde's throat. "Answering an accusation with a question. That's good. But telling the truth would be better. How about this, you helped him escape from a facility in Kora. You told him the woman he knew as Lauren Reynolds was alive and an FBI agent. You were helping him get revenge. And our technical analyst has your financial to prove he's paying you." Reid let go of Clyde's throat.

"Doyle was help in russia, not Korea," Emily said.

"Did he tell you that," Reid asked.

"Sean McAllister did." Clyde said.

"You son of a bitch," Emily said. "You did it."

* * *

A few hours later, Emily and Reid were leaving the office. "I'm sorry Reid."

"For what?"

"Not trusting you. Not telling you."

"We keep secrets from each other." he shrugged.

She lightly touched his hand, and he flinched.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You just stood toe -to-toe with one of the more evil men I've ever met, and you jump when I touch you? What's wrong?"

"It's ... I've been having headaches."

"Have you seen a doctor?"

"Several. They can't find anything physically wrong. After the first one suggested a psychosomatic cause, well, I bit his head off and stormed out of the office. After the third one made the same suggestion..."

"Have you told anyone?"

"You."

"Reid..."

"Emily, I may have to face facts soon. It's why I did what I did tonight."

"I don't understand."

"I may need someone to be my health care proxy. Someone who will make do what needs to be done."

"Reid..."

"I made a list of all the people I would trust to do it."

"And I'm on the list?"

"You are the list. You don't need to give me an answer now, but at least think about it."

Suddenly, Emily Prentiss was hugging him. He remembered the last time she hugged him, on the case in Colorado. After they had been held hostage at the cult compound. The places blew up and Emily didn't know if Reid was safe. She threw her arms around him. That sense memory got him through some bad nights.

She released him from the hug. Then she slapped him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"You scared the hell out of me tonight. You could have been killed. Don't you ever do that again."

"I won't promise that."

"Why?"

"Because I can't keep that promise. Anymore than you could."

He started to walk away, but she put her hand on his should. "Reid, two things."

"Yeah?"

"First, to your question, yes I'll be your healthcare proxy."

"Thank you. What's the other?"

"Can I stay at your place tonight."

"Why?"

"I...don't want to go back to my place tonight, that's all."

Reid nodded.

* * *

_A/N: This is just one of many fics I'll be writing. I have a bad feeling Emily Prentiss is going to die soon. It will make me very sad, so I'll write pieces like this with the ending I like._


End file.
